Daily Life

Writing this blog post on the last day of 2017.. and what better topic to post than a review of the good to best food i have tried this year (i would have done a ‘where NOT to eat’ but i realized that i don’t have photos of food that ended as not masarap) 😂

My Stuff – Yellow Cab

I have high respect for the person who came up with this! For P190, you get your choice of pasta, chicken wings and pizza. I discovered this in January and has been my go-to meal whenever i can’t decide whether i want to eat pizza, chicken or pasta.. so why not get all? 💛

Bacon Burger – Betoy’s (Kawit)

We only ate at Betoy’s once but that doesn’t mean their food was bad.. I think we just never had a chance because food placed popped out like mushrooms this year haha. But honestly their bacon burger was not bad at all.

McDok’s Latin American Chicken (Noveleta)

..with chimichuri sauce. Surprisingly good but we never went back because i honestly felt their menu was expensive. We went there in Feb though, so i’m not sure if their menu already changed.

My forever and ever favorite tapsihan in the world! haha Seriously.. some of the greatest food come in its simplest form.. and that is Vemouch. I don’t even need to look at their menu; i come in, sit and go like “ate tapsilog with bacon sakin“. 🥓

Silantro (Tagaytay)

I’ve always heard that Silantro is good but I have very low chances of going to Pasig so I never got to try it. So when its Tagaytay branch opened gora agad kami! Actually, soft opening palang sya when we visited. And yes, the rumors are true! Silantro is made up of all good things! So good, I went back again the next day! Although, service the following day sucked (pagbigyan ko na since they are on soft opening) but were still goooood. This reminds me.. I have to go back!

Zubuchon’s Pritchon (Makati)

Prito + Lechon = Pritchon. So bad its good! Fun fact: we had this meal after a 3-hour badminton session.. so i guess we deserve it haha

South StrEat Container Food Park (Silang)

We all know how food parks were all over since last year but we went our way to Silang to try this one. I don’t remember from which stall i bought food from but over all, good food with good people always works. 👍

Breakfast at Belmont Hotel (Pasay City)

For me to say that your hotel’s breakfast is great, i should see (and eat) bacon. So yes Belmont Hotel, your breakfast buffet is great! haha look at that beauty! 😍

Grilled Porkchops – Tomahawk Chops and Grill (Pasay)

Another sulit meal this year is this grilled porkchop plate from Tomahawk. If i remember correctly, this is only for P200 something and i can barely finish it.. and that says a lot about the quantity haha! Oh and yes, ansarap nung rice!

Gringo’s (Pasay)

Another drool inducive meal this year is from Gringo’s! Can’t remember what we ate specifically.. but I remember that they were one of the few restos that opened during good friday around MOA area. So buti nalang and we got to try their good fil-mex food.

Ben’s Halo Halo Ice Cream

True to its tag line.. this is indeed the creamiest halo halo! I think they mixed milk with water then turned it to ice then shaved it then poof if became super creamy and milky halo halo! haha I don’t know though where you can buy it since i tried it when they joined the food bazaar during a festival at Wind Residences, Tagaytay.

Neul Bolm Restaurant (Tagaytay)

This is my first try at Korean food and it did not disappoint. Fairly priced Samgyupsal with up to 2 servings of each side. I also like the korean paste / sauce that they served. Realization: buti nalang talaga natuto na ako kumain ng lettuce so i get to enjoy food this this. 😊

Crispy Kangkong – Balinsasayaw (Tagaytay)

This, for me, is the best food find of 2017 among all the food i tried during the many times i went to Tagaytay this year hehe. Perfectly coated and fried Kangkong, yes my friends this is a vegetable! haha And oh hello to the ever reliable crispy pata! 😍

Monster BBQ Burger – Xyan Cafe (Cavite City

Let me just rave about how underrated this place is! I mean, how many of you have been to this cafe given na taga-Cavite City ka din? Seriously, you should pay this place a visit for some burger and fries fix. They aso have pasta and milkshakes which are good too. Located at the far end of R. Palma Street, San Antonio.

Garlic Parmesan Wedges – Cafe Antix (Cavite City)

I think there’s nothing left to argue that Cafe Antix serves some of the best burgers, pizza, pasta, cheesecake, coffee, blended drink, and more here in Cavite City. Taas na nga kamay ko oh! 🙌 So let me just remind everyone, in case you haven’t noticed yet, that they also have potato wedges that would go well with basically anything you order haha. So go ahead, munch munch munch!

Chili Dog – Dog House Diner (Kawit)

I am also a fan of chili con carne, even the one from 711 pinapatulan ko. And for me, pasado tong Chili Dog nila; even made perfect by their buy one get one chicken wings promo during the time we visited. Ayos din yung chili cheese fries! Check their FB page as they usually promos from time to time.

Garlic Chix – Chix ni Calix (Cavite City)

One of our favorite delivery food here in our hometown. Savory chicken that you can eat in one sitting if you wanted to. They don’t have a dine in place but you can just contact them at their FB page for lunch and dinner deliveries. Winner din ang buttered shrimps!

Shoyu Ramen – Mendokoro Ramenba (Makati)

Indeed the best ramen in Manila! Had to wait for about an hour to be seated but I am telling you, it is worth the wait! From the broth to the noodles to the chashu, everything is perfect together! This beats my former favorite ramen that is Umauma haha

Beef Ribs and Brisket – Holy Smokes BBQ (Makati)

For legit smoked bbq cravings, go here! They serve authentic Texas-style barbecue smoked using local fruit wood. This is the kind that you see at the Food Network and make you drool. Medyo pricy nga lang, a decent portion will cost you about P500 with 1 side order. But this is as legit as it can get so no harm in splurging once in a while.

Kanto Freestyle Breakfast (Makati)

Cheap but good, instagrammable food. We tried their New Zealand Tapa and Vigan Longganisa which are both tasty; also comes in decent serving size. Their ube pancake is also recommended!

Chicken Wings – Jan Rhiz Restaurant (Cavite City)

Another sulit deal can found here as they occasionally have P199 unli chicken wings promo; with rice and drinks. Surprisingly meaty chicken parts as well so sulit talaga hehe! They serve rice meals, cakes and boodle fight set meals regularly when the unli promo is not available.

678 Korean BBQ Restaurant (Pasay)

Aside from the food, this place is nice because it closes late. They even have unli samgyupsal starting at 11pm. We tried their pork belly and other korean dishes that i can’t remember hehe. Authentic, affordable korean food.👍

Mcdonald’s Sta. Clara (Bulacan)

Wala lang, just wanted to mention that i went from Cavite City to Sta. Maria Bulacan to visit Maine’s Mcdo branch. Haha Of course they have the usual Mcdo menu; it was twister fries season during that time. 😊

Onyang’s Street Wings (Cavite City)

This has slightly become a comfort food. They have several flavors of chicken to choose from, plus variety of fries, burgers, pizza; add to that unli drinks for every meal that you order. This place is new, I think they opened in November, and is usually jam packed. My favorite is 6 pieces of chicken for only P100!

Chili Garlic Wings – Oinkneng’s (Cavite City)

Speaking of chicken wings, this has got to be the best. This is an easy eat, as in i can munch 10 pieces without noticing it.. and it actually tastes good! Plus they deliver for free along with their other specialties like sisig, lechon kawali, etc. We had this for noche buena and tonight again for media noche.

Breakfast at Concha’s Garden Cafe (Quezon City)

I had the rare opportunity to go to QC this year and of course i used it to visit Concha’s QC branch. Good thing they have started to serve breakfast as early as 7am. I tried their Vigan longganis which tastes as usual but they have really gooood blueberry cheesecake! As in!

Surf & Turf – Mcdonald’s

Last month, Mcdo released a secret menu consisting of 4 new burger varieties. I was able to try the surf and turf; which is very filling considering that it has beef patty and fish fillet. I believe it is still available because i ordered it again last week hehe; just ask for the secret menu before you order.

Longsilog – Bag of Beans (Tagaytay)

This was my first time trying the main branch of BoB, and I liked the garden set up. Food is just okay, but it made up for the ambience. I tried their longganisa meal, just okay hehe.

Matcha Frap – Coffee Project (Kawit)

I am a fan of matcha and i’m glad their frap version is actually nice. Plus their pasta is good too, value for money is 👍. Match-rap!

Detour Travel Cafe (Noveleta)

This new cafe opened last month just almost in front of Gudvibes Store so naturally, we had to try it. Hehe Every table / section is decorated with different travel destinations. Their food is also okay, not too pricey and enough to be fill hungry tummies.

Bacon Slab – Poco Deli (Makati)

I’ve seen bloggers rave how good this bacon is and i finally got to try it went we went to Ayala Triangle to watch the lights show. And yes, the bloggers are correct! This is so sinful but so good; just look at that thick slab! The serving is good for 2 but enough for 1 bacon lover like me. 😍

7Twenty7 American Diner (Kawit)

I got excited when i saw this new diner here in Cavite, i told myself i have to go asap, and asap i went. 😊 Everything was as expected; it has the retro diner vibe complete with memorabilia and diner inspired tables and chairs. As also expected, it was pricey. I mean, don’t get me wrong.. food tastes good but it would be splurging a lot if you go there, let’s say, weekly. Make sure to have your camera ready when you go here; i’m sure you are bound to upload a whole album’s worth of pictures 🤗

Cheesecake of Cafe Moraco (Kawit)

Cafe Moraco has been our go-to after dinner coffee session for the sole reason that it closes late. Little did we know that they have one of the best cheesecakes in town and it’s only P300 (1 whole pie good for 4). I don’t have a photo of it though. It’s so good, ubos agad bago pa ma-picture-an hehe. Anyway, here’s a photo of some of their available drinks.

$1 deals at Pound (Pasay)

We were able to try Pound by Todd English at their new branch at MOA. While on soft opening, they have a $1 menu where you can try some of their bestsellers for $1, yes P50. I love their burger and truffle fries!

Brunch at Chaplin (Makati)

I’ll cap off this post with ouryear-end brunch session yesterday at Chaplin, Century City Mall. It’s an Israeli cafe but they also serve some American and Filipino dishes. I ordered the eggs benedict with Chaplin tea. At first i got worried about the tea kasi andaming ganap hehe: ginger, cinnamon sticks, fresh leaves, etc. At first i was like elck, but as i sip it turns out that its’s actually good and refreshing! Lakas maka-tita, sobrang bet! haha That wraps up my 2017 food trip. I didn’t include food from our trips because those should be in a different post; when, i don’t know. haha A forever favorite that is not listed is Yabu! I think i went there about 6 or 7 times this year and each time feels like the first time. Always amazing!

As i mentioned in the beginning, i also had a fair share of ‘not masarap‘ food such as the Starbucks’ Franken Frappuccino, Jollibee’s Strawberry Fries, Pizza at All American (All Home Kawit), KFC’s salted egg yolk chicken, Spinach with Yogurt of Mister Kabab, and the top honor (horror) which is Neri’s Gourmet Tuyo. haha 😁✌️

Food is one of our basic needs.. though we want to keep it simple and light, there are times that we just need to give in to our cravings. So here is my share of foodie places here in Cavite which I have tried this year. 😋 Here goes.. 365 days and 10 lbs later…

Topps Pizza – Cavite City
Although pizza is their specialty, I usually go to this place for the creamy, not too sweet graham cake! Yours for only P35 if my memory serves me right.

Angelo’s Barbecue – Kawit
Tried this place few times early this year but never really got fond of going back. Not amazing, not bad either.

Zark’s – SM Bacoor
If all you are after is quantity, then you will love this place. Not bad for big burger cravings while on a budget.

Beantage Cafe – Bacoor
Come for the food, stay for the ambience.

Claud’s Cafe – Cavite City
Our favorite hole in the wall here in Cavite City! I always order their lechon kawali!

Sebo Pacific – Bacoor
If you are feeling extra young and ready to endure a “putok batok” meal, then go here. Their sizzling bulalo is yummmm and most of their meals are for only P100+.

Tarapumwesto – Noveleta
Yes, this is the place which gor famous for serving food in a skillet. They also got into serving drinks in a kettle. We used to frequent this place but not anymore due to personal reasons. haha

MiYu Teppanyaki Restaurant – Cavite City
Affordable Japanese food few meters away from our house. so yes I will definitely go back! haha

Bulldog Joe’s – Gen. Trias
Authentic fish and chips cooked by Joe! 😊 They also have other european inspired meals.

Mam Reyes Food Haus – Noveleta
In all honesty, I am always satisfied when I eat here. Affordable, home cooked, well thought of food. Though the place is actually their house, it doesn’t feel awkward at all and the ambience at the terrace is nice. 👍

A&M Grill – Noveleta
Of course, we all have isaw cravings once in a while. What better way to have it for dinner than get a bunch of street food on the grill and pair them with paella rice. And yes, at the side of the street!

Fiorgelato – Cavite City
You scream ice cream? Good thing we have a gelato place here. You can dine in or get a cone on the go, it’s your choice.

Coffeeville – Kawit
I’ve only been here once with a sole purpose of washing down all the grilled food I had for dinner that night. I had a coffee, which was decent. Nothing much to say.

Concha’s Garden Cafe – Tagaytay
This is where they say the best okoy is served. Tried it but I can’t agree to that since I’m no okoy expert. So let me
just show you their crispy pata! haha Btw, I find this place pricy. If not for Alden, I wouldn’t even go here haha

Burger Bites – Noveleta
This is one of those places that you just have to try because the tarp oitside says “unli drinks + fries”. For less than P100, you get a burger or hotdog sandwich which looks very good in photos. As for the taste, pwede na rin hehe

Dreamland Arts & Crafts Cafe – Tagaytay
The problem with themed cafes is that you pay extra for the ambience. Given that, food should also be good. As with Dreamland, I think it’s all ambience.

Cafe Antix – Cavite City
Raclette is a kind of cheese which became a thing this year. Thanks to Cafe Antix for bringing it closer to us; now we can have our favorite burger or pasta with a serving of Raclette for that extra cheese that we need in life. 😋

Shawrap – Cavite City
Hands down the best shawarma I’ve had so far. haha! Their chicken kebab with rice is also a reason to keep coming back!

Sasahama Japanese Restaurant – Kawit
This resto has been here for 16 yrs but I’ve only tried it this year. Didn’t disappoint! Their katsu curry is an instant favorite!

Charito by Bag of Beans – Tagaytay
Good food with good view. Tried the beef medallion with red wine onion sauce. I was hesitant at first because I never liked onions but I knew there is something about this dish that I just had to try it haha and I’m glad I did! Yum!

Aside from those that I mentioned, there will always be the usual favorites like Rachie’s porksilog and tamales, Lago de Dalahican’s Mexicano Sisig, Oinkneng’s bagoong rice and chicken wings, Aurora’s Korean Porkchop, Vemouch’s Tapsilog with bacon and many moooore!

Yes these are mostly on my side of Cavite. I don’t really get to go much around Imus / Dasma area, maybe next year! 😁 Do you have other food places that you can recommend which I haven’t tried? Let me know! 😊

I’ve been to some trips this year but for some reason, I have been plain lazy to blog. But anyway, hooray for this! nyaha

Our Coron trip has been short but enough to explore some good food around the town; 😋 so here goes my share of food itinerary if you are planning to visit this beautiful island.

Tita Esh Eatery
We arrived after lunch and have been transferred to the hotel immediately. After few minutes of checking in and looking around the place, we headed to the town to grab some late lunch and book our tour. Tita Esh Eatery is located at Real St. and it’s just your simple go-to place for food. It’s kinda like Rachie’s of Cavite City. I had pancit palabok with fried chicken (P120) while C had tapsilog (P80). A glass of iced tea is P10. Nothing special, simple meal which is good enough to fuel our next stop which is to hike the 720+ steps up the Mt. Tapyas. 💪

Trattoria Altrove
I have been looking forward to try this Italian restaurant since it has been hailed as the number 1 resto in Coron as per Trip Advisor. It’s located few blocks away from Mt. Tapyas but if you have just done more than a thousand steps, few blocks felt like a mile. haha Upon entering the resto, you have to remove your shoes which helps keep the floor really clean and shiny. The place was a little dark as well since you were supposed to have dinner with candle light. Servers and the foreigner owner (I assume) were very attentive to. We had a Hawaiiana Pizza(P410) and a glass of mango juice (P60). I have to say that the pizza tastes really good but I think we could’ve appreciated the place more if we ordered pasta; which we didn’t since the pizza is already 15-inch and we think it was enough for us. Still, I think the place deserves its number 1 spot.

Coron Westown Resort
Since our accomodation came with free buffet breakfast, we had to take advantage of it. They have the usuals: fried rice, hotdogs, assortment of breads and spreads, salad, chicken nuggets, arroz ala cubana, tuna flakes, scrambled eggs, plus they have an egg and pancake station. Of course, there’s coffee and some juice. Their resto where breakfast is served is just in front of the pool, which gives an amazing view.

Picnic lunch at Banana Island
Our activity for the day was to tour Bulog Dos, Banana and Malcapuya islands. Our boat docked at Banana Island and we had our lunch there c/o JY Travels (our tour provider), which is part of the package. 2 boatmen and a lady tour guide were with us during the entire tour; while we were busy swimming and picture taking, they were busy preparing our food. They served ensaladang talong (which I found kinda sour), chicken adobo with potatoes, grilled fish (don’t know which kind of fish but it tasted really good!). We also had banana and watermelon for dessert. It was nice eating with our hands with an amazing view of the beach along with the foreigners who were with us. Yes, we are the only Pinoys in the group. hehe

Turon in Coron
After visiting the Malcapuya Island, which was our last stop, we were headed to another 1 and a half boat ride going back to their docking area. While at it, ate tour guide served turon and banana cue for snack. What better way to have it than while sight seeing the pristine waters of Coron! ahhhhh!

Santino’s Grill
After the tour, we freshened up in the hotel and headed back to town for dinner. We went to Santino’s Grill as per the recommendation of a friend; and I’m so glad I listened to her! haha The specialty of the place is Baby Back Ribs, we had a half slab of it plus Pork Sisig (P180) plus a platter of garlic rice (P120). Let me just rave on how good the food were! Their ribs are fork-tender with just right amount of barbecue sauce! Well worth the P300 that we paid for it. Also the sisig was soooo good! Though a little oily, it was still good! We were not able to finish all of it since they came in big servings. How I wish we have Santino’s here in Cavite. nyaha! Only bad thing about the place is the server, after being asked for the wifi password twice, never gave it to me. 😳 I don’t know if it slipped his mind (twice) or he really just doesn’t know the password. Oh well..

Pedro’s Gelato
Though still full from dinner, I asked C to leave room for dessert. We headed straight to Pedro’s where they said the best gelato is served. The place is small but cozy. We shared a cup with 2 flavor: green tea and nutella for P150. It was okay but I can’t seem to differentiate it from other gelato that I have tried. Anyway, all good…

Fika Indulgence
On our second morning and sadly last day in the island, we have decided to ditch the buffet breakfast in the hotel. (Well okay yeah we dropped by the hotel resto to check what they are serving and ended up eating some haha) Then we headed back to town to look for souvenirs. After that, we walked a little to Fika Indulgence for brunch. We were in a little rush since we arrived past 9am and they were closing at 10am. We had nachos, french toast with bacon and egg and C had a karamelokiato with is basically a blended caramel flavored drink hehe. Food were okay but the ambience was better. Walls were decorated with travel – related photos and quotes.

Westown Cafe
We had to check out from the hotel at noon and had to wait few hours before our airport pick up arrived. So guess what we did? Yes, ate at the hotel resto to kill time. 😁 I had their grilled chicken pesto (P250) plus a strawberry milk shake (P90). I like the pesto since it was creamy and generously sauced. 👍

Airport Cafe
Since I have a thing with airports and coffee, of course I wouldn’t miss this one. We had a blended drink (forgot what it’s called already) for P140; enough to help us cool down while waiting to board.

Based on the research that I did and from what I actually saw from town, there are a lot more restos / grills / bars / eateries, etc. that we weren’t able to try. Aside from that, there are also a lot of islands that we were not able to tour due to time constraints. If you are going to Coron, make sure to stay there for at least 3 full days so you can make the most of it. 😊

Photo taken at the Sa Tamang Panahon event yesterday at the Philippine Arena. I’m proud to hold one of the 55K+ lights among the crowd. 🙂

I had a blast from yesterday’s event! Being a fan of EB, KS and AlDub, it means a lot to be there personally witnessing the two start their tamang panahon. It may sound shallow, exaggerated or baduy to some but you wouldn’t understand unless you are a fan yourself. I’m not in this just for the love team, there are many factors which make this show worth watching. I don’t want to point out everything here because if you are a fan you would already know and if you’re not all the more why should I bother telling hehe. Actually, I’m here mainly for Maine. I admire a lot about her; the more I see articles revealing her personality and watch her on TV or online, the more I like her and want to see her succeed. She deserves all of this (well, all of them who’s part of KS do) and I look forward to seeing her reach her dreams one by one. 🙂

Currently

Reading

I’ve actually been reading some entertainment mag features on AlDub lately hehe. Yes, expect this post to be a hangover from yesterday. lol

Writing

None actually. Unless you consider tweets as a form of writing hehe. Yes, I know that is actually typing. But you “write” a blog right? So… same difference. 🙂

Listening

Ed Sheeran’s Tenerife Sea on repeat. “You got the kind of look in your eye as if no one knows anything but us..” That line got me.. plus the melody.. plus the rest of the lyrics.. plus this is the kind of song that I hope will not become popular just to preserve the feelings that goes with it..

Thinking

Of the sea. This song feels so good that I immediately thought of the sea and its calm, its blues and the sound of small waves reaching the shore..

Smelling

I can smell (and feel) the laptop gaining heat as I use it. Maybe it wants to be replaced? lol

Wishing

Maine will tweet me back one of these days.. haha

Hoping

…to replace my phone as soon as possible. 🙂

Wearing

Shorts and tank top.

Loving

The Internet connection tonight. I barely get a connection as stable as I have now. Usually, it drops from time to time and very intermittent.

Wanting

I haven’t bought a new Pop lately and I’ve planning to buy a new batch, just waiting for some disney release. On my way to my 50th piece. 🙂

Needing

As tita as it may sound.. but I’ve been itching to go to the grocery lol. That’s my version of retail therapy! And I get stressed when we run out of tissue, shampoo, hand soap, etc. at home haha.

Feeling

Sleepy. I get sleepy easily especially during this time of the day considering I work night shift and I should be used to staying up at night. You can sit me down anytime and fall asleep in a snap haha.

And before I sleep, let me share some of Maine’s dubmash videos. Hoping to end your Sunday with a smile! 🙂

Surprise again!! lol In fairness, I am able to press for 2 consecutive weeks. I should have published this earlier this afternoon but mobile blogging has become so frustrating when it comes to formatting. So here I am, obliged to blog via web, which I very rarely do. Anyway, first day off today and spent the day catching up on sleep. Then went out to walk along PN; had dinner there and checked out this year’s tiangge. Nothing new. hehe

Currently

Reading

Fresh tweets. Never been more active on twitter than now. 🙂 Aside from that, I’ve been reading back on Pablo Neruda poems. I have loved them in college and I still get the same feeling reading them now. My favorites are Tonight I Can Write The Saddest Lines and Sonnet XVII. So good, it hurts.

Writing

I really don’t want to say that I am writing this blog entry hehe but meh, this is really all I am writing about. That doesn’t sound exciting at all.

Listening

Lifehouse’s Everything is currently playing. How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you? And you tell me how could it be any better than this?

Thinking

Of which nice earphone brand I should get. Mine got busted this week and I should get a new one asap! I need it for my daily dose of morning radio. Yes, I am a morning radio person in case you still haven’t noticed in me tweets. lol

Smelling

VS pear glace. I put on some earlier before I went out and I can still smell myself hehe.

Wishing

To go to the beach. For someone who doesn’t know how to swim, why am I so enticed by the sea?

Hoping

To get over our presentation and be able to deliver it as good as we are expected to. We are not even ready yet and I think it will be due next week. So good luck to us!

Wearing

Running shorts and my white team building shirt.

Loving

Every hour that I can get to sleep. As you know, my sleep pattern is messed up because of Maine, yes just her haha. That is why I love Sundays; because I can sleep without setting up an alarm at least. 🙂

Wanting

To eat a really nice meal and feel really good after. Maybe some katsu, buffalo wings or maybe try Halal Guys soon. I heard they will open this Tuesday. Finally no?

Needing

I realized just now that I need to have my rest days switched to Thur-Fri to give way to my noontime show fix. Haha yeah, sending a request for November!

Feeling

Relaxed. I got myself a nice sleep earlier, a nice street food dinner with C and finally blogging before the day ends. Add to that all the good things I have been reading online about my current fandom. It’s not everyday that you get this kind of feeling.

Bacolod trip is food trip! I had no idea about that when I booked a flight to this city; I’m only curious about The Ruins and wanted to see it in person. Apparently, there’s not much to do here unless you travel for 2 hours or more going to resorts or nearby towns. Another thing that I didn’t know is how much food choices there is in Bacolod. As in, you’ll never be hungry there! haha

We stayed at L’Fisher Chalet Hotel along Lacson St. which is the thoroughfare of Bacolod. Almost everything is there; hotels, malls, commercial establishments of all sorts and restaurants! 🙂 With only The Ruins as our itinerary, here’s what comprised our 3-day stay at the City of Smiles: food!

El Ideal
Right from the Silay Airport, we took a van going to Silay Plaza for our first meal at El Ideal. This is an old bakery turned into a restaurant which is just about 10 minues from the airport, fare is P50 per person. Their specialty is the Guavapple pie but I totally forgot to order it since I’m already very hungry and got distracted by spotting busses going to Bacolod. haha We had breaded porchops and chicken for lunch.

21 Restaurant
This is a fancy restaurant along Lacson St. and the facade can be very intimidating. I even told C that we should wear shoes coz the place looks really nice haha! And it was indeed nice; good ambience and service but the greatest surprise is the price! We had Special Batchoy for P90 (good for 3 persons and tastes really good), Boneless Bangus for P220 and Beef Steak for P175. I’m already impressed with Bacolod!

Calea Cakes and Pastries
You haven’t been to Bacolod if you didn’t go to Calea, at least that’s what they say. Being a sugarland, there are cakes and pastries stores all over but I think Calea has made it’s name as the most popular. We went to their branch right in front of our hotel and lucky to spot a table since it’s jampacked. We’re still full from dinner so we just got a Mocha Frost each and a slice of a Fruity Cheesecake. Nothing really amazing coz I can compare them to cakes in Cavite but it’s not bad at all. 🙂

Chalet Restaurant
Breakfast was served courtesy of our hotel in their roof deck restaurant. We had traditional silog meals and a fruit platter while enjoying the swimming pool view.

Aida’s at Manokan Country
It was a 10-minute jeepney ride from our hotel going to SM Bacolod and few meters from it is the Manokan Country where they serve authentic chicken inasal. Aside from sweets, Bacolod is also known for its juicy grilled chicken and it did not disappoint. Pecho pak is P80 and garlic rice is P30. That’s a very filling lunch for just P110! And forget your spoon and fork, best way to eat is with your bare hands! Yum!

Restaurant at the Ruins
From SM, take a Bata-Libertad route jeep (P8) going to the drop-off to Ruins. From there take a tryke ride (P100) going to the gates. Entrance fee is P90 per person, not bad for unlimited picture taking hehe. While waiting for the sunset and for the ruined mansion to light up, we had a Panna Cota for snack (P150) plus a marvelous view in front of us.

Kristin’s Steakhouse
We’ve passed by this restaurant for few times and tried to give it a go. We had a putok batok meal which consists of Chicharon Bulaklak (P160), Sizzling Spareribs (P140) and Kristin’s Steak Special (P310). Add a Morisqueta Rice Platter (130) and we’re off to a nice dinner while conversing about how our Bacolod trip has been so far.

Cafe Uma
We skipped Starbucks since we’re still full but still ended up having hot chocolate and mocha blend at Cafe Uma. I heard they also serve some good pasta here but wasn’t able to try them.

C’s Cafe
Before we run the the airport, we had our last meal at C’s Cafe, just at the ground floor of our hotel. We had baconsilog and a taste of their own Calamansi Tart. They also have a wide selection of breads and cakes and rice meals, enough to summarize how good food in Bacolod is.

Although there are a lot more cafes, restaurants and dessert shops that we were not able to try, what we had is enough for us to know how sweet Bacolod is. Thanks for making us (and our tummy) smile! 🙂

We’re back in paradise for the 2nd time this year; now via a free trip which I have won in a promotion in our office. Of course, every trip to Boracay (or anywhere for that matter) has a corresponding food itinerary hehe. With a vast selection of where to eat in the island, here are some food choices that we have tried during our stay.

Bite Club Grilled Burgers
Right in the middle of D’Mall is what they say the best grilled burger in the island so we had to try it hehe. I had the Club Burger which is 1/3 pound of pure beef patty with chunky mushroom and cheese sauce for only P165 plus a side of potato wedges for P75. I’m not sure if this is really the best but it’s not bad at all too. True to its description, patty is very juicy and sauce was generously applied. Definitely worth visiting to satisfy your burger cravings. 🙂

Loco Frio
This drink has also been part of my part 1 post and is something we always get whenever we’re in Boracay. What better way to walk along the beach than with a cocktail on hand hihi. Tumbler with drink is P360, then P240 for every refill.

The Sunny Side Cafe
Breakfast by the beach it is! You can spot this bright and cozy cafe on the ground floor of Boracay Sands Hotel, Station 3. With a wide selection of breakfast food, we ordered something that got our attention in the menu with its intriguing name “What Sorcery is This?”. That is actually an artisanal flat-bread pizza topped with shrimp, garlic and egg. Surprisingly tasty for only P320. Then we also tried their huge Blueberry Pancakes (P280); so huge we’re only able to consume half of it! I think that kind of serving can be shared by 6 people nyaha. Btw, this cafe is the #1 cafe/restaurant in Boracay at Trip Advisor.

Jonah’s Milkshake
Anybody who’s been to Boracay has heard of this famous milkshake place. Take a stop in their Station 1 branch and have some Banana Mango shake for only P110.

Kings Cuisine
Chino told me about this place and wanted to try it coz Andrew E. partly owns it nyaha so we’ve decided to give it a try. This is at Station 1, right at the back of Cocomangas. They are known for their original BaSiLog (P150) which is surprisingly good as well. The meal is simple; ground angus beef tossed in rice with some herbs that I don’t know then topped with a sunny side up egg. Pair it with Strawberry Ice Cream Shake (P150) and that would be some good, laid back lunch! 🙂

Aria Cucina Italia
We don’t have plans where to have dinner, so we practically stopped by the first well lit restaurant that we passed by the beachfront. Based on it’s name, food is mostly Italian so we had a Carbonara (P360) and Cotoletta alla Milanese (P450). You all know what a Carbonara is hehe. The latter is breaded pork cutlet with a serving of rice. This is another sorcery; how can something breaded and fried be THAT tasty! haha No dipping sauce needed, the pork tastes good in itself. Love it hihi

Boracay Breeze Hotel
Lastly, I want to thank our accomodation for serving us breakfast at 6:30 am though they usually start at 7. Very comforting to eat first before our transfer to the airport. They served us their American Breakfast for free; toasted bread with butter and spread, ham and egg with some instant coffee. Not bad for our last meal in the island. 🙂

We capped off our 5th anniversary with some burger and fries plus stand up comedy session courtesy of Comedy Manila at the center of Greenbelt 3 in Makati.

Teddy’s Bigger Burgers is originally from Hawaii which boasts big, flame broiled burgers. This is their first franchise here which only opened in August. You can choose from their original burger, cheeseburger, teri burger or monster double burger. You can also add some of their special toppings to make it more “hawaiian” for an additional cost. Since we’re not really hungry, we got the Teddy’s Original Burger with large fries and drink for P480. That is 9 oz. 100% US ground chuck patty (their biggest) in wheat bun and grilled well done as per my request.

We had it sliced in half which is ony fitting because I’m not sure how I can finish a burger that big! nyaha To make the meal more exciting, I added cheese sauce and bacon to our fries for only P90.

Their interiors are nice too. Mostly Hawaiian decors, which is expected. Surfboards and beach view here and there. Service is good as well. They serve promptly and can customize any orders to your liking.

8/10 for the food. I can’t say this is the best coz I haven’t tried their other burger variants.
7/10 for the service. nice crew service but no wifi in the resto hehe
9/10 for the location
7/10 value for money

There really isn’t a wow factor here and I can’t even remember how it compares with what I have tried in Hawaii. I’ll compare it with Cali Burger instead. Let’s just say that this is waaay better than that and I’d recommend Teddy’s over Cali Burger without thinking twice. lol

This is something I have stumbled upon online which I’ve decided to participate in. It is a photo challenge called August Break which is popular among book / photography bloggers. The aim is to take one photo a day that is based on the day’s theme as published. I’ve found about it a little too late though so I started on the fourth day. Following is a photo roll of my #augustbreak entries posted on my instagram account. Look closely and I hope you notice something that I did prior to the theme. 🙂

Day 4: Orange

Day 5: Three

Day 6: Reflection

Day 7: Today is..

Day 8: Selfie

Day 9: In my bag..

Day 10: Drink

Day 11: Handwriting

Day 12: On the table..

Day 13: Guilty pleasures

Day 14: Hands

Day 15: Blue

Day 16: Look down

Day 17: Bookshelf

Day 18: Jump

Day 19: Black and white

Day 20: Peaceful

Day 21: Treasures

Day 22: Shadow

Day 23: Adornment

Day 24: Memory

Day 25: Little

Day 26: Morning

Day 27: Lines

Day 28: Something new

Day 29: Nature

Day 30: Soft

Day 31: Love

All photos were taken with an Iphone4s and post edited via vscocam. And yes, all photos have a dash of color orange. I’m starting to get fond of it now. 🙂

I can consider myself a foodie in terms of my love of food but I can’t call myself an all around foodie because I’m picky. One thing that got me worried (and challenged) with our KL trip was the food. I’m not a big fan of curry or anything too spicy for that matter. Plus if food in front of me doesn’t look or smell good, there’s big probability that I will revert to the ever reliable fried chicken. haha

After a 4 hour plane ride and 1 hour land transfer from KLIA to the city center, we were 2 hungry kids craving for anything with rice. We found ourselves at the Petronas Mall side of Suria KLCC, specifically the Signatures Level 2 foodcourt. We kinda played safe since it is our first meal in this foreign land, we really didn’t know what to expect yet.

Chicken Rice at the Petronas Mall
This is the chicken + bbq chicken rice meal for RM10. Meat is tender with flavorful skin, almost like those in peking duck. High in cholesterol though.

Dhivya’s Cafe at the Batu Caves
Early morning the following day, we braved the 272 steps up and down Batu Caves without any food intake. So after tiring ourselves from the hike and picture taking, we rewarded ourselves with something we found in a local cafe at the foot of the caves. We had Roti Canai which is hand tossed flatbread, made mainly of flour. It came with 3 kinds of curry dips, 2 of which are extremely hot. Not to mention, other diners dip in the same container. Well, who am I to complain. haha Meal in the photo costs around RM7.

KFC at the Kasturi Walk
After Batu Caves, we headed to Chinatown via train and did more walking towards Central Market and Merdeka Square. Come lunch time, we settled for the first fastfood we saw and thankfully it was KFC! haha I still can taste the strong curry sauce by that time so I need something that tastes familiar to wash it down. I had what they call a Snack Plate Combo for RM10.50. It came with 2pcs of chicken, mashed potato and coleslaw. They didn’t serve gravy, they have ketchup and spicy thingy sauce instead.

Starbucks Coffee at the Berjaya Times Square
We also had our usual coffee session while resting at Berjaya Times Square. The afternoon heat and all the walking that we did got to us so it’s time for something to cool us down. Venti sized frappe is about RM13 each.

Texas Chicken at Bukit Bintang
Since we still feel full from all the food earlier, we settled for something that we passed by walking around Bukit Bintang which is KL’s shopping district. It was a simple chicken meal over a nice convo of how our trip has gone so far. A combo meal costs about RM11 each with overflowing drinks. 😀

Tour Les Jours at Wolo Hotel
Our third and final day in KL started with a hearty breakfast in this upscale bakery at the heart of Bukit Bintang. Chino had a Sunny Set A while I had Eggs Benedict. We also shared over the best Dark Cherry Danish I’ve had ever. That is melt in your mouth goodness, a great way to start any day!
A hearty meal like this comes with an equally hearty tab, haha RM42 that is.

Wantan Mee at the Petronas Mall
After breakfast, we were back at the Petronas Tower for the Skybridge tour. While waiting, Chino had rice
with mixed lamb and chicken kebab (RM10.90) On the other hand, I had BBQ Chicken Mee (RM7). It was kinda same as the first bbq chicken that I had here, only it was served on top of tasty noodles.

Just Desserts at the Petronas Mall
Since we have more time to kill, it’s
dessert time! I tried this Mango De Longan (RM5.50) which is crushed ice topped with fresh fruits and mild syrup!

Restoran Sai Woo at Jalan Alor
We have saved our final meal in KL for Jalan Alor. This is the famous hawker street of KL where you can find the best chinese/malay cuisines served in the comfort of well, the streets! When it comes to seafood, Chino is into squid (RM25) so we had the sizzling looking one plus some chicken/beef satay (RM10). Paired with Yang Chow Rice, this is as authentic as chinese food
can get! Freshly cooked and very tasty!

And of course, I cannot let this trip pass
without trying the Teh Tarik. This translates as “pulled tea” which refers to the manner that it was prepared. But to pinoys like us, it best translates as Milk Tea!! I am not trying to hype this drink (why would I even do that) but this is the best milk tea I have had ever. And believe me when I say that coz I have had a share of milk tea addiction in the
past haha It has a strong tea taste but the milk (condensed, I suspect) blends well with it. I had it iced but I’ll never say no to a warm Teh Tarik too. 😀 If only I had this on out first day, I would have consumed tea the whole 3 days we were there. I love it ❤

We are 2 happy kids, immersed in Malay culture in this foreign land. I know there are a lot more to try and experience in this city but what we had was enough to bring with us home and cherish forever! Thank you KL for giving us a lot of memories in terms of travel and food. Hoping to be back for more Teh Tarik! 🙂